These buildings are neighbors. The two photos were sent to us by the same very special GL correspondent who provided yesterday’s tale of the Carniceria sign on Smith Street. Our correspondent writes:
Picture one [left] is of very nice, renovated brownstone with, not-quite-original- but-it’ll-do, iron shutters. On Union Street in Carroll Gardens. This lovely thing sits across from 321 Union Street. See Picture 2 [right]. 321 seems to have gotten lost on the way to Miami, or Osaka. 321’s units were all pre-sold, sight unseen. A 2 bedroom is a steal at $900.000. The sage paint color makes this building easy to find in the dark. The tree in front, until we complained, had its base and roots completely cemented over. The owner/contractor/designer whoever, actually cut the cement away but I am not sure he would have unless we said something about it. He balked at the idea that the exterior color wasn’t in tune with the neighborhood.
The Corcoran site describes the striking 321 as follows: “This new 7 unit boutique condo provides the best of modern design in brownstone Brooklyn.”
12 responses so far ↓
1 Anonymous // Dec 4, 2007 at 6:50 am
Why don’t your use the time & energy doing something about saving human and animals in need as opposed to bitching about a building in a neighborhood. Geez there’s much worse things going on in the world.
2 Anonymous // Dec 4, 2007 at 7:32 am
Why don’t your use the time & energy doing something about saving human and animals in need as opposed to navigating to and then bitching about the content of a blog no one is making you read?
3 Anonymous // Dec 4, 2007 at 7:45 am
Looks like crap, but makes me happy with my value….
4 Anonymous // Dec 4, 2007 at 8:33 am
The folks living in non-landmarked sections of CG are out of control. While there is some decent historic housing stock, there’s plenty of room for more modern stuff provided that it’s contextual.
5 Anonymous // Dec 4, 2007 at 11:07 am
Look at the detailing of the applied “modern” decoration. It’s already rusting; and how will it hold the snow against the building. Where did the developer find such an designer?
Where will this building be in ten years? It certainly doesn’t have the lasting value of the neighboring brick building.
6 Anonymous // Dec 4, 2007 at 12:42 pm
..Corcoran shpuld have stayed put of Brooklyn, they have no clue about what brooklyn is, they just use the same tired bling bling yuppie lines they use to sell their luxury crap in Manhattan and Miami, Fu*K Corcoran and their vapid existance real estate whoring. Go scurry your anorexic wraped in black with your uniform issue It bags selves back to Manhattan and don’t even cross the bridges again, we don’t like your kind trashing up our neighborhood, pimps.
7 Anonymous // Dec 4, 2007 at 3:06 pm
when I was watching them put those slats up over the past couple of weeks I kept thinking there must be a bigger reason for them, but no, thats it. When it rains or snows its going to be a nightmare in run-off water.
8 Anonymous // Dec 4, 2007 at 3:22 pm
Oh my god. This has made so many so cranky. It’s not rusting. It’s wood fins bolted to the brick. The bolts will rust.;) I find it funny that someone would buy a place with tiny windows and have one whole window obstructed by the strange Nelson Bench lathwork. This building was actually 2 buildings that were joined together. Also, I feel this blog is about neighborhoods, not animal rescue, which, I do my share of. The webmaster does post needy animal cases, but, I believe Gowanus Lounge is about the changing landscape of Brooklyn. CG is a disaster waiting to happen, and yes, build new, but keep it in line with yer neighbors. That’s enough on this post… Rezone CG, NOW!
9 Anonymous // Dec 4, 2007 at 3:27 pm
I guess I don’t see what the problem is, and I’ve been staring at both buildings for a few minutes now. The red-brick townhome on left (not a Brownstone BTW), is lovely. The new building on the right looks nothing like the architecture I’ve seen in Miami, but is far more intune with modern Bavarian architecture. Let’s hope this photographer (and complainer) never travels to Munich as he’d surely S**T a red-brick.
10 Anonymous // Dec 4, 2007 at 7:25 pm
Yes, Yes. It’s a Town House. and with the Miami ref, they must mean NEW Miami, not Art Deco Miami. This new building on union has adonized aluminum railings. like on the deck of a yacht. Many buildings in Florida have that nautical thing going on. It could be “Bavarian” but I trust you mean Functionalist or perhaps De Stijl, for there are no turrets or carved bears or heraldic motifs most associated with Bavaria on this building. After walking inside the place one day, I can tell that the designer had a faux Asian/Zen idea in mind. All that quasi mid-century modern/subzero fridge crap that attract yuppies. ya know? If there were decent window frames and the green paint brought down a few shades, it would disappear…
11 Anonymous // Dec 5, 2007 at 7:48 am
It’s not my thing, but the overall scale, solid-void ratio, and the massing ARE in tune with the neighborhood, so in that sense it’s contextual. Not so sure about the durability of the facade materials, though. Give it a few years of freeze-thaw….
12 Anonymous // Dec 15, 2007 at 12:51 pm
I’m an architect and i happen to believe this to be a very nice approach with clean execution.
Does every building in your neighborhood have to “hark back to days of old?” Just be happy you bought your piece at the right time and that the value of your property is what it is. I’d worry more about middle america and children of 2nd cities coming in and infiltrating your neighborhood and making it a frat party. I cant believe this once proud haven of brooklyn is now littered with red sox caps and subaru’s. Sad…
Carroll Gardens will not be quaint for very long, so hold on to your iron shutters.